


Birthday Hope

by Fisticuffsandjapery



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Laser Tag, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 23:49:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6305164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fisticuffsandjapery/pseuds/Fisticuffsandjapery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Robert's thirtieth birthday.</p>
<p>'“Seriously Vic? Laser tag?”  Aaron burst out laughing.  “What is this?  His tenth?”</p>
<p>Robert’s eyes widened in anticipation.  He’d never been.  He’d always wanted to go but had never had the chance. </p>
<p>Vic bounced up and down on the spot with Adam.  They both looked like big kids.  “Robert begged dad to take us on his tenth birthday but we never got to go.  This is to make up for it.”'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Hope

Robert smiled at his phone reading the text.

_“Happy Birthday. See ya later. A”_

Aaron had remembered.

A loud knock on his bedroom door interrupted his thoughts.  “WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD! YOU Best BE DECENT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”  Victoria came bounding into his room.

Robert made a face.

What if he hadn’t been decent?  Victoria really needed to learn boundaries. But he grinned when she presented him with a gift.

“You didn’t have to get me anything you know,” he insisted.

She waved her hand to dismiss him.  “It’s not every day that my big brother turns thirty!”

Robert unwrapped the present hastily but furrowed his brows when he realised what it was.  “A Spanner?”

Victoria giggled.  “Because you can be a right spanner when you want to be.”

“…Er…thanks?”

She giggled harder.  “Your face!  I got you the whole tool kit.  It’s downstairs.  Figured if you’re going to be working at the Scrapyard you should have your own.”

Rob gave her a hug.  “You know I’m just helping out right?  You should have used to money for your own start up. I don’t think I’m meant to be a hands-on investor.”

“Yeah sure.  We all know you secretly love it.  Besides I’ve told Adam he can use the tools when he wants.  And you’re gonna have to do all the odd jobs in the house that need doing.”

Robert nods understandingly.  “So basically this present is your way of getting cheap labour.”

Victoria squeezed his cheeks like he was her _younger_ brother.  “You catch on quick.  Right you.  Get out of bed.  I’m gonna make you brekkie and then we are going out for the day.”

Robert protested.  “I can’t.  I told Aaron I’d help him out at the yard-”

Victoria crossed her arms over her chest as if she was telling him that she wouldn’t have any excuses.  “The Scrapyard is closed for today.”

“It is?”

The blonde haired girl nodded enthusiastically.  “I told Adam and Aaron that we’re going out for the day.  They’re coming too.”

Aaron was coming too?  That changed everything.  “Oh…well in that case…”

* * *

 

“Seriously Vic? Laser tag?”  Aaron burst out laughing.  “What is this?  His tenth?”

Robert’s eyes widened in anticipation.  He’d never been.  He’d always wanted to go but had never had the chance. 

Vic bounced up and down on the spot with Adam.  They both looked like big kids.  “Robert begged dad to take us on his tenth birthday but we never got to go.  This is to make up for it.”

Robert’s beamed inside.  Victoria remembered.  He couldn’t have asked for a better sister.

But he was reminded of Aaron’s reaction. He frowned.  “I think Aaron’s right.  We’re a little too old for-”

“Shut up, Rob.  We’re all playing.  I’ll get in line.  Come on, Adam,” Victoria dragged her husband to the queue ignoring he huffs of protests from the groups of kids around them.

Robert shoved his hands in his pockets hoping Aaron was judging him  “Sorry about this.  You don’t have to stay.  I know you’ve got a lot going on with the trial and-”

Aaron shook his head.  “Let’s not talk about the trial.  Today’s about you.  I’ve never played.  It might be fun.”  Aaron dug his hand into the back of his jean pocket and pulled out a small card.  “I didn’t know what to get you.  I spent the whole day in town but couldn’t decide,” Aaron said trying to explain.  “Did you want to go into town in the weekend and pick something?  My treat.”

It was a generic birthday card.  _“Dear Rob, Happy Birthday.  Thanks for the last few months, you’ve been great.  Aaron.  P.s. I don’t hate ya.”_

“Thanks,” Robert said grinning.  “The not hating me part is a real step up.”

Aaron looked at him square on.  “I mean it.  I really don’t hate you.  Not even a little bit.  How can I?  You helped me through all of this-” Aaron broke eye contact first, bowing his head.

Robert automatically reached out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  “Hey, you were the one that banned trial talk,” he nudged Aaron’s chin up.  “And yeah, let’s go into town on Saturday.  We can make a day of it.”

Aaron gave him a soft smile which instantly warmed Robert from head to toe.  How could Aaron manage to make him feel like that with just one look?  The moment was rudely interrupted by his sister telling them to get a move on.  Robert almost groaned but managed to hold it back when Aaron tugged lightly at his jacket.

* * *

 

As Aaron drove back home, Robert couldn’t help but stare from the front passenger seat.  The younger man was glowing as he recounted the epic side roll he did to get out of the way of Adam’s laser shot.  Robert vowed to himself that he would remember this look of pure happiness on his former lover’s face.  It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.  And as much as Aaron may deny that he had fun that day playing a kid’s game, Robert knew different.

The eldest Sugden blushed slightly, remembering a moment they had had in the middle of the battle zone.  He had felt Aaron’s breath on his neck as he came up behind him.  “I’ll cover you,” he had said, in relation to the party of scrappy nine year olds around the corner.  The intimacy of the incident had made Robert spin round.  Aaron had immediately reached out for his hips.  They stood like that for a good few seconds.  Robert could have sworn Aaron had dropped his gaze to Robert’s lips but the moment had passed when Robert was shot three times by cackling kids as they ran ahead.  It was definitely worth coming third from bottom on the score board.

As Aaron parked the car, the other two passengers hopped out first.  Vic whispered something to Aaron as she went ahead to the pub.

“Where are they off to then?” Robert said gesturing to the couple.

“You don’t want to know,” Aaron made a face.

“Let me guess?  Has she organised a party or something?”

“Complete with balloons and cake.”  Aaron chuckled and turned to take a slow walk towards the pub.

Robert fell into step with the other man.  Somehow, Robert found they were walking so close to each other that their hands brushed with every step.  Just when the older man thought he couldn’t bare the brushes anymore, Aaron grabbed his hand.  He cupped his with Robert’s like it was the most normal thing in the world.  He could feel the shorter man tense as if to wait for Robert’s reaction.  Robert gave him a lopsided grin and softly squeezed the hand that enveloped his.

As they reached the pub, Aaron pulled away and Robert reluctantly let him.  “So how did this birthday compare with last year’s?”

Robert smirked.  “It’s not a Rolex, but I got to spent it with you so I figure this one’s at least hundred times better.”

“Charmer,” Aaron said, using one of his mother’s favourite words.

Robert gave him a wink.  “And don’t you forget it.”

And then Aaron kisses him.  It was quick, soft and all kinds of perfect, leaving Robert absolutely frozen on the spot.  He watched Aaron bite his bottom lip shyly and head into the pub.

Robert wasn’t stupid.  He knew that this didn’t mean they were together, Aaron wasn’t ready for that.  But it meant something a whole lot more.

It meant hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of birthday fluff for Robert.
> 
> http://fisticuffsandjapery.tumblr.com/image/141369861763 is what the card looks like inside


End file.
